We haven’t forgotten about small businesses – we love the passion and drive that small business owners and employees have for taking on challenges and working towards their goals. We have a rich history with SMB’s. In fact, we recently launched the Better Business Hub in the United Kingdom designed exclusively for small businesses looking to improve their mobility and use of social media.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express was a revolutionary product that helped businesses get up and running with corporate email and manage BlackBerry smartphones – all for free.

For those businesses using BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express to manage BlackBerry smartphones, we’ll be continuing to support you and to support BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express with updates through to 2015; that’s a promise. But, the mobile landscape is changing – and we’ve heard that straight from our customers.

The Need for Multi-platform Management

Particularly if a Bring Your Own Device model is being adopted, as is the case in many small businesses, you’re likely beginning to see multiple devices being brought into the workplace. Tablets, BlackBerry, iOS and Android devices, and all manner of personally preferred mobile ware are making appearances that pose challenges to centralized management and connectivity to corporate email services.

The Addition of ActiveSync Functionality for BlackBerry 10 Devices

We’ve worked to help keep you prepared to tackle this changing mobile landscape in two particular ways. First, we’ve adopted Microsoft® ActiveSync protocols to allow connectivity of BlackBerry 10 smartphones and BlackBerry PlayBook tablets straight into your mail servers at no cost. No extra servers or software required. And, you get to manage the devices using the built-in ActiveSync policies. From my perspective, this actually makes things much easier.

Is ActiveSync with BlackBerry 10 secure? We’ve answered that question in a recent blog post from our Senior Director of Enterprise Product Management.

Say Goodbye to Server Licensing Costs

For those looking to step up their mobility management game and take on multi-platform smartphones and tablets, BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, launched this week, is the evolution of our enterprise mobility management innovation. Our portfolio of management products has been streamlined, and efforts poured into providing free and direct connectivity with ActiveSync, and the enterprise server option for staying on top of a diverse mobile landscape. To make it easier for our customers to adopt BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10, we have removed the server component of the licensing and moved to a device license only model. BES 10 device licenses are very cost effective – only $99 USD per device with bulk discounts.

At the end of the day…

You have options. Your end users can connect their BlackBerry 10 devices either directly (for free) using ActiveSync or using BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 for enhanced management capabilities and behind the firewall application access without expensive VPN infrastructure. Try out BlackBerry Enterprise Service 10 today at: http://www.blackberry.com/bes10

We’ve streamlined and consolidated our various management products into a solution set that has the capability to meet the needs of small and large businesses alike, with a strong focus on the changing mobile landscape and helping you to address future challenges. Both RIM and our customers are adapting, innovating, and moving forward.

Communication is crucial. We welcome your questions on these topics, as we know that they’re a concern for you. Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Hey, IT administrators – are you the seasoned veteran when it comes to BlackBerry® Enterprise Server experience, or are you a newbie just starting out? No matter what your skill level may be, we’ve got a comprehensive suite of BlackBerry Enterprise Server version 5.0x courses that can help you get the most out of your product.

Overall, our BlackBerry platform training takes a “roll up your sleeves” approach to learning, which is a great fit when it comes to sharpening your skills with the BlackBerry Enterprise Server. As a participant, you’ll get to train with a simulated BlackBerry Enterprise Server environment and have access to an array of hands-on labs and classroom activities. It will also provide a fantastic opportunity to interact with fellow BlackBerry Administrators, so you can exchange tips and tricks you might have picked up!

Available to all of our participants is the choice between our core BlackBerry Enterprise Server courses – Essential & Comprehensive v5.0x – to give you the complete fundamentals of the latest software, which is great for both beginners and experienced users alike. Additionally, you can learn how to effectively troubleshoot your environment using log files by taking our newest course – BlackBerry Enterprise Server Advanced Troubleshooting using Log Files (ATL). Also, our Essential course has been expanded to include everything you need to know about BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express – we’ll show you how to go beyond email integration and utilize the many possibilities of this product.

All of the BlackBerry® platform training courses have class sizes limited to 12 students, and are developed by experts from Research In Motion® (RIM®) and trainers that are skilled at helping participants understand, absorb and retain knowledge. If your goal is certification, our experience and training along with self-study will help prepare you.

If any of the above interests you, courses are available via our Open Session program in several regions and countries. Check out the Open Session schedule to see when we will be in your area! (Please note that these are priced at $1275 per two-day Open Session, subject to discounts depending on levels of T-Support.)

Have you attended a BlackBerry Training course in the past? What did you think?

We recently launched an application for enterprise users that’s free to download that allows wireless activation for personal devices on BlackBerry® Internet Service plans to connect to BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express and MDaemon® Messaging Server, BlackBerry® Edition.

In a few simple steps, users can activate their personal BlackBerry® smartphones over their employer’s wireless network, giving the IT administrator a simple way to support employee-owned smartphones. And since smartphones can be activated without having to connect them to a computer, it’s easier than ever for personal use devices to be securely connected to corporate mail, calendar, contacts and more.

To activate, you will need to:

Step 1: Enter the BlackBerry App World™ storefront from your BlackBerry smartphone and download the “Enterprise Activation” application. (Did we mention it can be downloaded for free?)

Step 2: Once it’s completed downloading, open the application.

Step 3: Enter your email address and password (this will be provided by your company’s IT department).

Step 4: Hit Activate and you will begin getting your work data within minutes!

Note: For this wireless enterprise activation app to work, you’ll need to be running BlackBerry® Device Software version 5.0 or higher, and be on a full BlackBerry Internet Service plan from your carrier, a compatible version of either BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express or MDaemon Messaging Server, BlackBerry Edition, and a supported BlackBerry smartphone.

We’re excited about what this means for businesses of any size – we’ve seen firsthand how powerful people within a business can be when they’re connected. Download the app today and let us know what you think!

The internal IT service desk here at Research In Motion® (RIM) knows me well! With the number of times I’ve dropped my laptop, messed up my email, and ‘accidentally’ deleted the wrong file from the server over the years, I’m pretty sure they have my mug shot posted in their offices.

But even for annoying users like me, the reality is that support is critical. And with smartphone devices becoming more ubiquitous and more robust in their capabilities, technical support is fast becoming a key facet in selecting an enterprise mobility vendor.

In between attending the Web 2.0 conference recently, I traded a few emails with the BlackBerry Technical Support Services Product Manager, Anna-Marie, to get a better understanding of the enhancements we’re making to this program.

Already available in 90 countries through five global support centers and offered in English, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese, BTSS offers a wide array of core services, preventative services and value add options for small and medium sized business (SMB) to large global enterprises. Have a look at this comparison chart for more details. I was surprised to find out just how much has changed since the days of Tx1-Tx5!

Based on customer feedback and partner demand, we’re updating the BTSS program effective as of November 22nd 2010 to better support two specific customer groups: BlackBerry MVS users and SMB customers.

BlackBerry® Mobile Voice System (MVS): MVS support is now included in the existing BlackBerry® Enterprise Server support contract. No separate support fees are required.

SMB: With increasing uptake of BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express in the small business arena, we have updated our BTSS program to suit this group’s growing needs:

• Given the pace at which SMBs operate, we now have a faster Basic response time of 8 hours.
• For SMBs with more complex or urgent requirements, we’ve also added a telephone submission process to the Enhanced Support offering.
• We’ve introduced new pricing for BES Express support which includes support for 30 BlackBerry smartphone users, and have created a per-person pricing option for deployments of over 30 BlackBerry smartphone users. Whatever your BES Express deployment size, we have a plan that fits your support needs and budget.

Overall, we’re constantly working at making technical support faster, cheaper, more responsive and flexible. What features would you like to see? What are other vendors doing that we should emulate? How could we better support your deployments? I look forward to your thoughts!

Learn more about BlackBerry Technical Support Services today!

Today, BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express Software was released for IBM Lotus Domino. This means that if your business is using Lotus email, you can now use this free server software to synchronize email, calendar, contacts, notes and tasks between BlackBerry® smartphones and IBM Lotus Domino without compromising security.

With BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express connected to IBM Lotus Domino, BlackBerry smartphone users will be able to:

• Wirelessly synchronize email, calendar, contacts, notes and tasks
• Manage email folders and search email on the mail server remotely
• Book meetings and appointments, accept meeting requests, check availability and forward calendar attachments
• Set an out-of-office reply
• Access files stored on the company network
• Use mobile applications to access business systems behind the firewall

For IT administrators, BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express includes:

• A Web-based interface that allows remote administration and makes it easy to deploy applications over the air, connect and manage BlackBerry smartphones, and apply usage policies
• Over 75 IT controls and policies, including the ability to remotely wipe a smartphone and enforce and reset passwords
• Employee self-service tools for securing a lost or stolen device

BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express works with Domino Enterprise Server and Domino Messaging Server. It can support multiple Lotus Domino domain environments from a single Web-based administration interface and can be run in parallel with the premium BlackBerry Enterprise Server software for the same instance of IBM Lotus Domino.

You can find out more about BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express and download it for FREE here. (www.blackberry.com/besexpress)

Also be sure to check out Douglas’ Q&A post about BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express and the formal press release.

A recurring theme to the conversations I’ve been having with people in the wireless industry lately is the need for enterprises to better manage the dual personas of the modern employee: their work persona, and their play persona (my personal favorite persona). The software teams here at Research In Motion (RIM) are aware of this need and are working to address it by providing enterprises with the necessary tools via the BlackBerry® platform. I was able to catch up with Santiago Carbonell, a Handheld Software Product Manager at RIM, who is one of the people working on a new feature coming to the BlackBerry platform to do just that. Check out the interview below!

You’re working on a new feature coming to the BlackBerry platform. What’s the story behind this feature and what does it do?

Over the past 10 years, smartphones have been a huge boon to enterprises because they enable employees to take their work with them wherever they go. In the past few years, however, smartphones have started allowing us to take our personal life anywhere, through things like social networking applications and rich multimedia features.

This has led to a trend we’re seeing in the enterprise space right now, and that’s personal-liable devices, or BYODs (“Bring Your Own Device”). People are buying smartphones for that rich personal experience, but then looking to bring that smartphone into the office to take their work with them as well. What we’re working on is building a platform of coexistence between these two lives on one device.

That sounds cool, but what do you mean by coexistence?

Enterprises understandably need to be very protective of their corporate data and communications, and the BlackBerry platform has always allowed that information to be mobilized securely and efficiently through a robust set of IT policies. These policies allow enterprises to control virtually every aspect of the smartphone, down to whether or not personal email addresses or 3rd party applications can be added. This helps to prevent security no-no’s like data leakage, where confidential information sent to the smartphone via a work email is then shared via a personal email address or through some other application.

However, this means that in the interests of corporate security, some BlackBerry smartphone users can’t add their personal email accounts, access Facebook® or download 3rd party applications. RIM recognizes that enterprise employees are also consumers and we want to stay ahead of the curve by allowing those employees to do their jobs, but also take advantage of all the rich consumer-focused features that are a part of the BlackBerry smartphone.

So, for example, the average employee will be able to respond to that urgent email from their boss, but then a minute later be able to check up on their kids over BlackBerry® Messenger or Facebook, because their employer is comfortable with the security measures protecting their sensitive data.

Exactly.

So it’s a win for the company and the user, because they both get what they want.

Yep. =D Enterprises can then allow employees with their own BlackBerry smartphones to bring them into the office at no cost using products like BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express. The employee gets access to all their corporate services (work email, work calendar… etc.) and is still able to enjoy using their BlackBerry smartphone in their personal life because the security concerns are addressed.

Without giving away the secret sauce, how is this going to work? Will the BlackBerry smartphone user notice anything different?

Really what we’re working on is keeping the enterprise data where it belongs. That means sensitive information like emails or important business contacts can stay highly secure and controlled. This is all happening in the background of the platform, so the BlackBerry smartphone user won’t really notice anything different. However, if they try to do something their company would deem unacceptable with that data, the platform is designed to help prevent it from happening and notify the user.

Thanks for this! I’m looking forward to grilling you for more information as it becomes available to put on Inside BlackBerry.

No problem!

More and more employers are making it possible for employees to connect their personal smartphones to their corporate email, because it’s good for business and is also considered a benefit to employees that want to manage their work and life on BlackBerry. Research In Motion (RIM) is running a series of learning sessions in cities across North America designed to help IT managers embrace the reality of personal-liable smartphones in the enterprise space.

Analyst Maribel Lopez will walk attendees through the risks and rewards of bringing employee’s personal smartphones into the business world and share tactics for management success. Attendees will be able to share best practices with fellow leaders and ask questions of RIM and other industry experts. There will also be a demonstration of the recently released BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express software for all who attend!

Please see the list below to find the event registration page that’s right for you.

Toronto, ON – March 25th, 2010
Chicago, IL – March 30th, 2010
Dallas, TX – March 31st, 2010
San Jose, CA – April 1st, 2010

These learning sessions are free, but participation is limited, so please register now. All attendees will receive the Smart Policies for Personal-Liable Smartphone white paper and be entered into a draw for a free BlackBerry Starter Pack.

We hope you can join us!

BONUS: Read the most recent BlackBerry Connection Newsletter for more information on connecting personal employee smartphones.

We’re excited to introduce BlackBerry® Enterprise Server Express today, a new server software offering that enables businesses of any size to quickly and easily get started with the BlackBerry solution. BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express works with Microsoft email servers, including Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 and 2003 and Microsoft Exchange 2010, 2007 and 2003, to provide users with secure, push-based, wireless access to email, calendar, contacts, notes, tasks, and more.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express is also free: the software requires no additional user license fees, and works with any Internet-enabled or enterprise data plan.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express benefits both the BlackBerry smartphone end user and IT administrators. Click the links below to learn more about the end user, IT management and security features of BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express.

BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express end user features
BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express IT management and support features
BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express security features

Don’t forget to also register for BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express availability updates. In the coming weeks, the Inside BlackBerry blog team will be talking more about BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express and the BlackBerry Enterprise Server in general (a topic that might be quite new to many of our readers), so stay tuned!